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[CrookedRain]

I actually think this is good news even if you don't want to use apps on it. It'll force them to improve the steam client if they want to actually compete. Do you really think any non-gamers will bother with it if they have to wait for Steam client to start up(in its current state) whenever they load a program? They will certainly have to make the Steam client more efficient and less bloated than it is now for this to work.

 

[VALIS]

Yuck. I used to hate the Stardock store for the same thing. Hopefully this is kept as separate as possible so I can ignore it. But at some point it won't be. It's a pretty standard and common business strategy to leverage your stronger product with a weaker one.

Also, the gullibility from some of you is astounding. "Gabe is complaining about Windows 8 because he's worried about it being an open platform in the futureeee!" Gabe is complaining about Windows 8 because MS's built in store to sell apps and games will take some potential customers away from Steam's store to sell apps and games.

 

[alexandros]

Gabe is complaining about Windows 8 because MS's built in store to sell apps and games will take some potential customers away from Steam's store to sell apps and games.

Microsoft has had a games store for ages (GFWL Marketplace) and it got crushed by Steam, Origin, GOG, Greenman, Impulse, basically everyone that bothered to put up a games store in Windows. I don't think that Newell would lose any sleep over the Windows Store if it wasn't the only way to buy apps for Metro.

 

[Buttonbasher]

What's stupid about what my post?

Wanting something that next to nothing is known about (besides wild speculation that jumping to conclusions from this thread) to fail just because the current infrastructure doesn't seem like a good fit, again having heard nothing else besides "Yo, software that isn't games is coming to Steam".

Sorry to single you out, it's just the majority of this thread is being really stupid, and the "I hope it fails" comment was pretty dumb to me.

 

[VALIS]

Microsoft has had a games store for ages (GFWL Marketplace) and it got crushed by Steam, Origin, GOG, Greenman, Impulse, basically everyone that bothered to put up a games store in Windows. I don't think that Newell would lose any sleep over the Windows Store if it wasn't the only way to buy apps for Metro.

Yeah, right. Their little token PC games store is the same thing as a built-in app store on the desktop of an OS who's current iteration sold over 500 million.

 

[gabbo]

Wanting something that next to nothing is known about (besides wild speculation that jumping to conclusions from this thread) to fail just because the current infrastructure doesn't seem like a good fit, again having heard nothing else besides "Yo, software that isn't games is coming to Steam".

Sorry to single you out, it's just the majority of this thread is being really stupid, and the "I hope it fails" comment was pretty dumb to me.

Perhaps the use of 'fail' was a bit much, but I do think there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed with the client/service as it stands now, before adding software of that nature is even close to occurring.

That and I don't want to see Steam ruined by Adobe bloat.

 

[Cipherr]

Oooooo lawd, dat Windows fanboy salt. They bumrushed this thread. This is way more entertaining than it should be.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

So we're getting an app store instead of Big Picture Mode?

 

[Buttonbasher]

Perhaps the use of 'fail' was a bit much, but I do think there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed with the client/service as it stands now, before adding software of that nature is even close to occurring.

That and I don't want to see Steam ruined by Adobe bloat.

We're on the same page in that respect. I'm just giving them the benefit of the doubt that they're not just going slap software into the overall pool o' content(at least not long term). I figure they're holding back a big store/back end redesign for the Big Picture Mode update that'll address most of those issues.

As for the actual content of the software, people seriously need to look at the leaked category list, and consider it in the terms of tools for people to get into game design. It's not going to be word processors and spreadsheet applications flooding the store. The thought of learning to make games through software made available on Steam compared to stuff you have to seek out on random sites is really appealing especially when you look at the success of Source Film Maker.

I shouldn't let this insanity get to me because it seems like this could be something really cool, even for those who only want to consume content because it'll make tools more accessible to people who may not have payed attention to them before.

 

[Bomber Bob]

Gabe is complaining about Windows 8 because MS's built in store to sell apps and games will take some potential customers away from Steam's store to sell apps and games.

Yeah right because win 8 app store is totally goin to sell non-metro app

 

[Mr_Zombie]

Microsoft has had a games store for ages (GFWL Marketplace) and it got crushed by Steam, Origin, GOG, Greenman, Impulse, basically everyone that bothered to put up a games store in Windows. I don't think that Newell would lose any sleep over the Windows Store if it wasn't the only way to buy apps for Metro.

GFWL (Marketplace) was shit that no one cared about, even Microsoft. Well, they started to care about Marketplace at one point (way too late), redesign the site and made a sale or two but then, in Microsoft's style, get bored with it and eventually canned it. Windows Store will be different, because it's a vital part of the OS.

 

[Windu]

imagine the steam sales

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

Yuck. I used to hate the Stardock store for the same thing. Hopefully this is kept as separate as possible so I can ignore it.

I agree with this - Impulse was a chore to actually find what you were looking for, and frankly, the level of app quality it sold was pretty crappy (like, Amazon Special Deals in PC Software crappy).

I'll withhold judgement until I see how it works and what's on offer, but it's not exactly a "holy shit, awesome" type of announcement.

EDIT:

GFWL (Marketplace) was shit that no one cared about, even Microsoft. Well, they started to care about Marketplace at one point (way too late), redesign the site and made a sale or two but then, in Microsoft's style, get bored with it and eventually canned it. Windows Store will be different, because it's a vital part of the OS.

It'll be different if it's successful.

If nobody is really using it, it will just end up like all the other marketplaces that have been inside Windows over the years, like buying your Office Templates or Premium Desktop Widgets and Themes or whatever.

 

[Kammie]

The good thing is that ten years from now, all employers will be required to have Steam installed on every office computer so you can send email!

I want Big Picture Mode. Where is it?

 

[Kalnos]

i oppose this for the same reason as Steam selling games.

Like a moth to a flame.

 

[MrCunningham]

It won't be long until GAF is able to do their grocery shopping through steam.

Maybe they could start taking orders the big pink cookie from the Valve Snackbar? :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR0WN55p_zI

 

[Odrion]

Yay... bloat.

Stick to games steam.

Yeah.

Yeaaah.

I'm curious to see how having Software will affect the marketplace. Will games have to compete for attention alongside McAfee virus scanner?

 

[Delusibeta]

This is the beginning of the end for Steam. We need a few more threads to spread the word about all the bad stuff they are doing.

I'll make a prediction: by September, everyone will have forgotten about the complaints raised with regards to Steam, in a similar way as to no-one remembers why we're supposed to distrust Origin.

 

[Yeef]

Saw this coming after the categories appeared on the mobile app.

Still waiting on big picture mode...

 

[zephervack]

The good thing is that ten years from now, all employers will be required to have Steam installed on every office computer so you can send email!

I want Big Picture Mode. Where is it?

In the back burner while they use the Steam team to integrate business software into it.

I dont know this for a fact, im just salty that it seems like Valve is starting to focus less on games, prove me wrong lord Gaben.

 

[scorpscarx]

Yeah.

Yeaaah.

I'm curious to see how having Software will affect the marketplace. Will games have to compete for attention alongside McAfee virus scanner?

That's not going to happen due to greenlight, if it does, then... idk.... But I saw this coming, everyone has a digital software store it makes sense for Valve to add software.

 

[Eideka]

Is this supposed to be a bad news ?

 

[Mr. B Natural]

They probably will

I imagine there will be two storefronts

A software store and a game store

But you only get one screen. One "store" will get screwed over. Thus is the problem with digital retail: either you're front page or you're in storage.

 

[Aguirre]

uhm isnt steam a game store?

i dont go to the butchers to buy vegetables.

yuuck

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Yeah right because win 8 app store is totally goin to sell non-metro app

You're right it won't directly sell them, but it does list desktop apps in the store. It's just that instead of having the button to buy, it has a link to the developers site so you can buy / download from their site. For example, currently in the store is Microsoft Office and Age of Empires Online. I would expect that you will see a lot of existing desktop app listings show up around launch.

Details: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsstore/archive/2012/06/08/listing-your-desktop-app-in-the-store.aspx

 

[SniperHunter]

hmm could be interesting, I really like steamworks and their cloud uploading. Document management might get easier with it.

 

[Kalnos]

uhm isnt steam a game store?

i dont go to the butchers to buy vegetables.

yuuck

Derp. Every platform this generation has been expanding itself into different kinds of digital media.

 

[Fireblend]

uhm isnt steam a game store?

i dont go to the butchers to buy vegetables.

yuuck

What if the butcher expands his store and builds a supermarket though? huh?

See I can play with stupid analogies too.

 

[arts&crafts]

You are all forgetting the worst part of this, software will take up limited space in our steam sales

Goodbye Arma 2 hello Microsoft Word.

 

[Kalnos]

You are all forgetting the worst part of this, software will take up limited space in our steam sales

Goodbye Arma 2 hello Microsoft Word.

I can't tell if this is a joke or not.

P.S. It won't change anything.

 

[Mudkips]

There, I fixed your post for you.

Steam is clamping down of heavy cross-region gifters as well, not just people who use VPNs.

 

[gabbre]

You're right it won't directly sell them, but it does list desktop apps in the store. It's just that instead of having the button to buy, it has a link to the developers site so you can buy / download from their site. For example, currently in the store is Microsoft Office and Age of Empires Online. I would expect that you will see a lot of existing desktop app listings show up around launch.

Details: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsstore/archive/2012/06/08/listing-your-desktop-app-in-the-store.aspx

So useful

NOT

 

[R1CHO]

uhm isnt steam a game store?

i dont go to the butchers to buy vegetables.

yuuck

I buy potatoes on mine.

 

[Pachael]

I imagine that Steam Support will get a lot more questions now. "How do I spell check in Word?"

 

[arts&crafts]

I can't tell if this is a joke or not.

P.S. It won't change anything.

I am joking, I think..

 

[corn_fest]

This is so blatantly obviously so that they can distribute a standalone operating system that's usable for more than just gaming. I wonder when they'll come out and say it.

 

[Littlegator]

This is so blatantly obviously so that they can distribute a standalone operating system that's usable for more than just gaming. I wonder when they'll come out and say it.

That's not how things work.

 

[corn_fest]

That's not how things work.

Hmm? You mean because there's going to be so much dependency on Windows? I'm thinking farther into the future when their Steam on Linux project is further along. Gabe's personal hatred of Microsoft's direction with Windows is going to be a big motivating force in this direction, I think. Obviously just my own speculation.

 

[PixyJunket]

I am at a loss trying to figure out the point to this.

 

[Mastgrr]

Not sure if I like.

It's a part of the last chirp of the Steam platform.

PC gaming isn't exactly an increasing market segment. Most PC's sold today are roughly 400-500 dollar netbooks or ultrabooks who can't play games worth a rats tail with their integrated graphics cards. At the same time, gaming is thriving on ever-increasing post-PC world of tablets, smart phones and home consoles – areas where Steam is virtually non-existant. Microsoft and Apple now ship app stores with their operating systems which cut out middle-men like Steam.

Think it's any coincidence that they put Steam on to Linux? And Mac a couple of years ago? And investigating building their own console and implementing Big Screen Mode? And now apps? They're doing everything they can, looking to exhaust every possible option to expand the market for Steam and tie people into purchasing their software on it. But it's got its limits. I don't think there's much they can do to thwart all the trends which are pointing against them. This is the beginning of the end.

Even if Steam starts to slumber and ferment, decreasing whatever source of additional revenue that lets the company stay afloat, Valve still have their gaming intellectual property to lean on.

 

[ZenaxPure]

On one hand this worries me since I really hate this on the 360 and it has drove me away from using it... but if Valve can keep it separate from the game section I am fine with that.

Basically during the amazing winter sale I don't want to see any non-gaming stuff on the store front page. Preferably I'd like it so there was 2 tabs, 1 for games and 1 for non-gaming stuff. I have little interest in other software on the whole, all I really do with my PC is browse the net and play games, so something like this could get annoying if not handled well.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

Like it's going to happen man.

I can dream can't I ?

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

It's a part of the last chirp of the Steam platform.

PC gaming isn't exactly an increasing market segment. Most PC's sold today are roughly 400-500 dollar netbooks or ultrabooks who can't play games worth a rats tail with their integrated graphics cards. At the same time, gaming is thriving on ever-increasing post-PC world of tablets, smart phones and home consoles – areas where Steam is virtually non-existant. Microsoft and Apple now ship app stores with their operating systems which cut out middle-men like Steam.

Think it's any coincidence that they put Steam on to Linux? And Mac a couple of years ago? And investigating building their own console and implementing Big Screen Mode? And now apps? They're doing everything they can, looking to exhaust every option to expand the market for Steam. But it's got its limits. This is the beginning of the end.

Do you have any actual figures to support your claims?

Because they're pretty outlandish, and fly in the face of things like World Of Tanks userbase, League of Legends userbase, WoW subscription revenues, Diablo 3 day one sales, Active Steam users, et fucking cetera.

 

[2MF]

Great, more Steam stuff for me to avoid buying due to "subscription" / mandatory ToS acceptance BS.

 

[Mr. B]

As long as Games and Software are separate I'm ok with this. Valve is expanding a lot and this was the next logical step. I'm more likely to buy off Steam then I am Amazon's Software section.

 

[Delusibeta]

PC gaming isn't exactly an increasing market segment.

Incorrect.

 

[Littlegator]

Hmm? You mean because there's going to be so much dependency on Windows? I'm thinking farther into the future when their Steam on Linux project is further along. Gabe's personal hatred of Microsoft's direction with Windows is going to be a big motivating force in this direction, I think. Obviously just my own speculation.

Speculation can't beat the stranglehold that DirectX has on the market. Due to the GPL, nobody will ever bother making a true competitor to DirectX for Linux. Steam just doesn't have the manpower to make their own OS, and it would receive no support if they did.

The market is in an interesting place right now, as it's almost a monopoly by Microsoft. It'll take a massive shift in consumer opinion and a corporation dedicated to development of a non-Windows graphics API to dethrone Microsoft and DirectX from the PC gaming throne.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

Due to the GPL, nobody will ever bother making a true competitor to DirectX for Linux.

I would love to hear the reasoned explanation for that argument.

 

[Firequake]

Maybe this is just the first step to for the creation of a steam + linux hibrid os ecosystem. Maybe.

 

[Mastgrr]

Incorrect.

The fact that the press release is from the PC Gaming Alliance - an organisation formed for defensive reasons that didn't need to exist ten years ago... One-third of the PC-gaming market is China - which is expanding for everyone in most sectors. I mean something around 20% (today possibly more) of Apple's profits come from China, up from next to nil just a couple of years ago. I don't construe it as unfair to make the claim China should be judged somewhat separately from the rest. And the PCGA say much of the revenue rise in western markets is due to Zynga, Bigpoint and Nexon – all whom cater to the netbook gamer. Not exactly the same kind of crowd who come to NeoGaf...

Do you have any actual figures to support your claims?

Because they're pretty outlandish, and fly in the face of things like World Of Tanks userbase, League of Legends userbase, WoW subscription revenues, Diablo 3 day one sales, Active Steam users, et fucking cetera.

Most PC's sold are laptops, most are sold around $500: http://blog.laptopmag.com/the-average-pc-laptop-cost-513-in-february

PC users think $999 ultrabooks were too expensive, driving the price down to $699. Add to that 90% of all PC sales above $999 are Macs. Those numbers ain't that hot for PC gamers.